Colorado Avalanche Prospects in the AHL Bowen Byram is a pending RFA heading into the summer. [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MTk3ODcxNzgxNTEwMzkxNjcw/usatsi_19974605.jpg] Bowen Byram is a pending RFA heading into the summer. The Colorado Avalanche face another season with captain Gabriel Landeskog on the sidelines [https://thehockeynews.com/news/avalanche-captain-gabriel-landeskog-to-miss-entire-2023-24-season] as he recovers from another knee surgery. A silver lining, however, is his absence provides them with some much-needed salary-cap relief for 2023-24. CapFriendly [https://www.capfriendly.com/teams/avalanche]shows the Avalanche possesses $13.35 million in projected cap space with 12 roster players under contract for next season. The Denver Post's Bennett Durando [https://www.denverpost.com/2023/05/09/gabe-landeskog-injury-avalanche-free-agency-trade-targets-offseason/] indicates the Avalanche can exceed next season's projected $83.5-million cap by $7 million with Landeskog on long-term injury reserve. Durando points out that part of that cap space will be used to sign RFAs Bowen Byram and Alex Newhook. Some of it will also go toward filling at least one top-six forward position if J.T. Compher departs via free agency. Compher moved into a top-six role when Nazem Kadri signed as a free agent with the Calgary Flames last summer. If he also leaves, they'll have to prioritize filling that second-line center position. Considering Compher posted a career-high 35 assists and 52 points in his first full 82-game season, it's likely he will want a raise from his $3.5-million cap hit. Durando suggests they could consider short-term veteran options such as Chicago's Jonathan Toews or Toronto's Ryan O'Reilly. He believes pursuing younger long-term options could entail trading a defenseman such as Devon Toews or Samuel Girard to free up sufficient cap space. The short-term route might be preferable and more affordable while Landeskog recovers for at least one more season. However, there's no certainty they can land the veterans they seek. If they do, there's also a risk that their performance could drop off, leaving them having to address that issue again by the trade deadline or next off-season.
